Lehigh Mountain Hawks guard Nasir Whitlock (1) cuts down the net after defeating the Boston University Terriers in the Patriot League Championship at Stabler Arena. James Lang-Imagn Images

Lehigh claims Patriot League title, returns to NCAA Tournament for first time since 2012 upset

By Colby Colwell | Last updated Mar 11, 2026 11:19 PM ET

The Lehigh Mountain Hawks are dancing for the first time since the 2011-12 season when they pulled off a stunning upset of the two-seed Duke Blue Devils.

The Mountain Hawks (18-16, 11-7 PL) got their automatic bid with a 74-60 win over the four-seed Boston University Terriers (17-17, 10-8 PL) on Wednesday night, giving themselves a chance to add to that historic win and create some more magic.

Junior guard Nasir Whitlock — the hero from the quarterfinal win over 10-seed Holy Cross — led the way with 18 points (5-of-13 FG). Whitlock has been Lehigh's leading scorer all season (21.1 PPG), but the team's depth was on full display with four of the five starters scoring in double figures. Overall, this will be the program's sixth appearance in the Big Dance.

Lehigh looking to re-create some madness after 2012 upset over Duke

The 2012 NCAA Tournament not only featured the stunning upset from Lehigh, but it also produced the second-largest upset by spread in the tournament's history when 15-seed Norfolk State downed two-seed Missouri as 21-point underdogs.

That Lehigh squad was led by longtime NBA veteran and current Atlanta Hawks player CJ McCollum, who had a game-high 30 points for the Mountain Hawks. The win was Lehigh's second NCAA Tournament appearance in three seasons.

We all remember this upset from 2012 @LehighMBB pic.twitter.com/A4oRh8VfUY https://t.co/WpFHiOj51A
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 12, 2026

Three of its four trips to the Big Dance this century have come under the leadership of head coach Brett Reed, who has been at the helm since the 2007-08 season and possesses the most wins as a HC in program history.

According to Joe Lunardi's latest bracketology for ESPN, Lehigh is projected to be a 16-seed, which is where it has found itself in every NCAA Tournament appearance aside from that 2012 upset. As of Wednesday, its NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) ranking of 282 does not provide a lot of optimism and could lead to the Mountain Hawks playing in a First Four game just to have a shot in the Round of 64.

If Lehigh has some more magic left, it will need to rely on its elite passing. With an average of 14.4 assists per game, the Mountain Hawks are tied for 138th in the country, which is in the top half of Division I.

Lehigh will face a tall task regardless of who its opponent is when it hears its name called on Sunday. With Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) making it even more difficult for underdogs to pull an upset, it will be less likely that the Mountain Hawks accomplish the same feat once again.

However, if they can protect the ball and keep sharing it at the rate they have been, crazier things have happened in March. Just ask Lehigh, a program that is more than familiar with shocking the world.

Colby Colwell

Colby Colwell is a freelance contributor with a bachelor’s in Computer & Information Technology and a minor in Psychology from Western Kentucky University. With a deep passion for sports, especially NASCAR, he offers his substantial knowledge along with his adept writing skills. When he’s not writing, Colby enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time with his family

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